The DNA Journey

Read the introduction:

We asked people from all over the world to take a DNA test. It turns out that the participants
have much more in common with other nationalities than they would ever have imagined.
Let’s Open Our World is an invitation to travel across boundaries, embrace our differences
and open our world. Everybody should be able to travel the world, to meet other people, and
experience other cultures and religions. Travel opens our minds: when we experience
something different, we begin to see things differently.

Vocabulary. Match the words and definitions.

1. DNA (n) /ˌdiː en a) to discover a fact or piece of information

ˈeɪ/

2. ancestor b) the art, buildings, traditions, and beliefs that

(n) /ˈænsestə(r)/ a society considers important to
its history and culture

3. spit (v)/spɪt/ c) a chemical substance that contains genetic

information and is found in all living cells

4. heritage d) a tendency to have beliefs or opinions that

(n)/ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ are considered to be
extremely unreasonable by most people

5. extremism (n)/ɪk e) clothes of a particular type

ˈstriːmɪz(ə)m/

6. find out (v)/faɪnd/ f) someone who is related to you who lived a

long time ago

7. get on (well) with g) to force some of

somebody the clear liquid called saliva out from
your mouth

8. garb (n)//ɡɑːb h) to like each other and to be friendly to each

other

PART 2 – 1st Listening

☻ Write down as many countries or nationalities as you can hear.
Noun Adjective
 PART 3 – 2nd Listening
1. Why is the English man proud of his country?

2. Why doesn’t the Bengali man get on well with India and Pakistan?

3. How does the DNA work?

4. What do the people have to do in order to conduct the experiment?

5. How do the people feel before and after fnding out the DNA results?

6. Why does the French woman believe the DNA tests should be compulsory?

7. How do the English and Cuban call themselves after the DNA test?

PART 4 – DISCUSSION
1. How would you feel about taking a journey based on your DNA?
2. Should such DNA tests be compulsory? Why/not?
3. Would you take this DNA test? Would you like to get the chance to discover how connected
you are to the rest of the world? Why?
4. What nationality would you like to be if you could choose? Why?
5. Where would you like to travel in the future? Give reasons.
6. Would you ever consider hiring a photo detective to tell you more about your family?
Why/not?
7. How would you feel if you discovered one of your ancestors was a terrible person? Please
explain.
8. An open world begins with an open mind? What does it mean? Do you agree?
Why/not?
Follow-up activities:

 Watch The DNA journey Ellaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mqWYuKvbXY

 Watch The DNA journey Aurelie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mer2HG9dSdU
 BBC One TV Show (Who do you think you are?)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t575
mgr Monika Bojanowska-Kuchta
TEACHER’S ANSWERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
time_continue=2&v=tyaEQEmt5ls

momondo – The DNA Journey - ANSWERS

PART 1 – VOCABULARY

to be patriotic about sth // a garb // to get on well with sb/sth //

particularly // government // intrigued // an ancestor // to flter down // to spit (v.&n) // a
tube // solid // results // Eastern Europe // compulsory // heritage // a pure race // to
pound // to defend // in a broad sense

PART 2 – 1st Listening

☻ Write down as many countries or nationalities as you can hear.

Nou Adjectiv
n e
Iceland Icelandic
England English
Bangladesh Bengali
Kurdistan Kurdish
Germany German
India Indian
Pakistan Pakistani
Turkey Turkish
France French
Iraq Iraqi
Cuba Cuban
Caucasus Caucasian
Spain Spanish
Portugal Portugese
Italy Italian
Greece Greek
Great Britain British
Ireland Irish

PART 3 – 2nd Listening

1. Why is the English man proud of his country?
- Because his family defended England in the past.

2. Why doesn’t the Bengali man get on well with India and Pakistan?
- Because of the political confict.

3. How does the DNA work?

- (the best idea is to draw a picture presenting the phenomenon; a student can do that)

4. What do the people have to do in order to conduct the experiment?

- They have to spit into the tube.

5. How do the people feel before and after fnding out the DNA results?
- At frst, most of them strongly believe they are „pure; after the DNA examination it comes
out their origin is more complex, they are confounded/perplexed and astonished/surprised.

6. Why does the French woman believe the DNA tests should be
compulsory?
- Maybe it wouldn’t be extremism.

7. How do the English and Cuban call themselves after the DNA test?
- „Jay from everywhere;. // „a man of the world;.

PART 4 – DISCUSSION (and/or homework)

1. How would you feel about taking a journey based on your DNA?
2. Should such DNA tests be compulsory? Why/not?
3. An open world begins with an open mind? What does it mean? Do you agree?
Why/not?